After a phenomenal 2018 run, the Belarusian pro Nikita ‘Mikita’ Badziakouski has started off 2019 on a high note. The the 26-year-old pro has joined one of the world’s top poker brands – partypoker, as the ambassador and the latest of member of their team that features the likes of Isaac Haxton, Fedor Holz, Patrick Leonard, Sam Trickett, Jason Koon and Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier.

An avid chess player as a child, Bodyakovskiy is Belarus’s highest grossing player with $20,829,107 in live earnings. His best live cash came last year when he won the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series Main Event for a massive $ 5,257,027. The player recorded his first live cash way back in 2010 and has been cashing out across several prestigious events ever since. While the player has been consistently posting scores, the year 2018 turned out to be his most memorable year as he not only won five international titles but also made it a 4th place finish in three high roller tournaments.

Bodyakovskiy grabbed big headlines for his back-to-back Main Event titles at the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series. He first won the Triton Super High Roller Main Event in Montenegro in May 2018 for HK$19,618,400 ($2,499,184). He then followed up that score by winning the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series Main Event in Jeju in July 2018 for a whopping HK$41,250,000 ($5,257,027).

In August 2018, he won the European Poker Tour (EPT) Barcelona Super High Roller for € 1,650,300 ($1,912,903). In October 2018, he then shipped the King’s Short Deck Championship for € 213,750 ($ 246,298) at the 2018 WSOPE, Rozvadov. He ended the year in style with a 4-place finish in the Super High Roller Championships at the partypoker Caribbean Poker Party, Nassau for $700,000.

The partypoker managing director -Tom Waters welcomed Bodyakovskiy to the team by saying, “We’re thrilled to welcome Nikita to Team partypoker. Nikita is one of the most respected players in the world and has recorded some incredible results in such a short space of time.”

Talking about his appointment to the partypoker team, Bodyakovskiy said, “To be part of a team like this is a true honour for me. These players have been playing at the top level for years and they can always help with advice, because they know poker from the inside. I will be working in the same area and will try to add my own expertise to help improve the game of poker across the world.”

Bodyakovskiy will also be a part of partypoker’s newly-formed Player Panel. Along with the panel, he will work to improve communication between partypoker and its players. Panel members will also play a key role in shaping policies and improving the overall experience for the poker players.